Portsmouth V Gosport & Fareham. Saturday 29th November, Counties 1 Hampshire League

The day was preceded by a Former Players Lunch which boosted the spectators on what was a rather wet and cold day to start with but fortunately the weather cleared by the time of kick off.

Gosport got proceedings underway and Portsmouth were straight into attack mode. After Gosport had given a couple of penalties away Portsmouth got clean ball from a line out and Tom Whitehouse, playing at 6, broke with the ball before linking with the backs. The ball eventually found its way to Matt Higgins, who had joined from fullback and with a good turn of speed he crossed the line to score out wide. Gareth Davies conversion hit the upright but bounced back into play so the score was 5-0 after 5 minutes. Shortly after this score Gosport were awarded a penalty which they duly converted taking the score to 5-3 on 10 minutes.

Gosport then lost their open side to a red card for stamping on a Portsmouth players’ hand. This was followed shortly after by a yellow card to a Gosport player for a no arms tackle on the Portsmouth scrum half. Portsmouth were in a pretty dominant mood and this saw 2 tries scored within 5 minutes of each other. The first was by winger Callum Grahamslaw who finished off a good 3’s move when he ran round his opposite number and scored close to the posts. Gareth Davies was on target with the conversion and the lead was now 12-3. The next try was from a penalty awarded to Portsmouth and taken quickly by Gareth Davies who shot through to score close to the posts, he converted his try and the score was now 19-3 with about 30 minutes gone.

As half time approached, Portsmouth were awarded a scrum and the ball was quickly spun to the 3’s who set up a good move which finished with Callum Grahamslaw racing through from just inside the half way line to score close to the posts, again Gareth Davies was on target and the score was now 26-3 as half time approached. This was Callum’s second score and Portsmouth’s 4th try giving them a vital bonus point. The half time whistle went shortly after.

Portsmouth got the second half underway and were soon on the attack again but it took 8 minutes to get the score board moving, this time for a penalty against the visitors. Gareth Davies was again on target and the lead was now 29-3. It looked to all intents and purpose that Callum Grahamslaw had scored his 3rd try when he took the ball around the halfway line and raced down the touch line, breaking 2 or 3 tackles on his way to score. But the Gosport touch judge had put his flag up for a foot in touch, the Portsmouth spectators on that side were adamant that he was 6″ inside the touch line but the ref had no option but to take the touch judges decision and the score was ruled out. So the score still stood at 29-3.

Gosport had been pressing the try line for periods of the second half but the Portsmouth defence held firm but eventually they did manage to find a gap and scored close to the posts. The try was converted and the score was now 29-10. Portsmouth, after defending for periods in the second half, finally broke free and Leo Wall took the final pass from around the Gosport 22 and breaking couple of tackles, he scored between the posts and the touchline. Davies was on target and the score was now 36-10.

Gosport did manage to get the final score from a 3’s move in which they broke through the Portsmouth defence to score their 3rd, try, taking the final score to 36-15. The final whistle went as the ball missed the posts.

The second half was rather disappointing after the dominance shown in the first half and they did seem to loose focus on occasions. They will need to sharpen up next week with a trip to Basingstoke who are currently in 3rd place on 31 points. Portsmouth have now moved up to 4th place on 28 points after today’s win. So next week promises to be a very hard game but one that they are capable of winning if they can produce the performance they are capable of.

TEAM
ALEX BUCK, BRAD ATKINS, LIAM AVIS
SAM FOSTER(C), TOBY WILSON
TOM WHITEHOUSE, SAM FLOYD, ANT FOOKS
DOM VUGLAR, GARETH DAVIES
JAY CHATHAM, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL, CALLIUM GRAHAMSLAW
MATT HIGGINS

BENCH
LEE CHANDLER, HENRI DAVIES, DOM BOURNE

Portsmouth v Andover, Saturday 22nd November, Counties 1 Hampshire League

Travelling to Andover is one of the longer away trips this season. Add to that the cold and persistent rain and it was not the most enjoyable of trips.
However to come away with a 10-15 win is a rarity in itself and certainly made the homeward journey a lot more pleasing. Added to that is the fact that the pitch has something like a 15′ fall from the far end to the clubhouse end and you can understand why it is not everyone’s favourite venue.

Andover kicked off but the ball didn’t go 10 metres so it was a Portsmouth scrum back on the halfway line and for a prolonged time the majority of play took place in the Andover half despite, or because of it, Portsmouth were playing uphill. Andover had a couple of forays into the Portsmouth 22 but some good defence kept them out. Portsmouth then set up an attack from the half way line and despite the wet and slippery conditions, spun the ball across the backs, eventually Jay Chatham took the final pass and be broke a couple of tackles to score his side’s first try. Matt Higgins was unable to add the extras so the score was 0-5 to Portsmouth with about 15 minutes gone.

More pressure from Portsmouth nearly gave them a second score but with the rain handling was becoming difficult as was keeping on your feet. Another attack from Andover was repelled and as Portsmouth got towards the halfway line the whistle went for half time with the score still 0-5 to the visitors.

The second half got underway with both teams trying to get the upper hand despite the difficult conditions. Eventually it was Andover who scored first through a quickly taken tap penalty, they were unable to add the extras so the score was now 5 a’piece with about 55 minutes gone. An excellent drive from the Portsmouth forwards saw them drive the opposition back 15/20 metres before Andover were then penalised for collapsing the maul. From a quickly taken tap penalty Portsmouth scored their second try through a good charge by Liam Avis. The conversion missed but they re-took the lead 5-10 on 60 minutes.

Andover then had a period when they were pressing for a score which eventually came taking the score to 10-10 on 75 minutes. The conversion missed. From an Andover lineout Portsmouth managed to steal the ball and they drove towards the line with Sam Olie taking the final pass to score their third try. Again the kick missed but they were now in the lead again 10-15 with about 5 minutes of full time left. The final whistle went following a kick to touch by the visitors and a very jubilant Portsmouth team deserved the praise from the Coaches.

This has not been a happy hunting ground for Portsmouth over the past few years so this victory was all the sweeter. They played some very good handling rugby despite the slippery conditions and an opposition pack that always gave as good as they got. A thoroughly deserved victory which sees Portsmouth move up to 5th place on 23 points, just 1 point behind Bournemouth 2’s. The whole squad played an important role in today’s win. Winchester 2’s beat Chichester 33-23 to go top.

Next week, Portsmouth welcome Gosport & Fareham, who beat Eastleigh away 14-34. Kick-off is 2pm with a very popular pre-match lunch available from 12:30pm.

TEAM
WILL ROLFE,(C). BRAD ATKINS, LIAM AVIS
SAM FOSTER, TOBY WILSON
HENRI DAVIES, SAM FLOYD, ANT.FOOKS
DOM VUGLER, MATT HIGGINS
JAY CHATHAM, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL, BRAD JEWER
ARCHIE CLEMENCE

BENCH
CHARLIE BODMAN, CALLUM GRAHAMSLAW, DOM BOURNE

Portsmouth v Eastleigh 2nds, Saturday 8th November, Counties 1 Hampshire League

The game was preceded by all teams playing at Rugby Camp lining up in front of the Club House in memory of Roy Harris, a proud Cornish man and Club legend of many years standing who sadly passed away last week aged 92. The funeral will be at Portchester Crematorium on Friday 21st.November at 10.00a.m. followed by the Wake at Portsmouth Rugby Club.

This was the first league match since October 18th when we lost narrowly to Guernsey 2nds, away and in some respects it showed. The cohesion they usually showed was not quite there and for the opening 10-15 minutes not a lot happened, both sides looking for dominance with Portsmouth just about having the upper hand. Jay Chatham at fullback made a great break and took play deep into the Eastleigh half before being tackled, He managed to get the ball away but as another attack started the final pass went into touch.

From an Eastleigh line out just inside their 22 Portsmouth managed to steal the ball and No. 8 Fooks was on hand to pick IT UP and ran through to score out wide. The kick missed and Portsmouth had an early lead 5-0 on 18 minutes. A couple of minutes later Fooks was again taking the ball into the Eastleigh half and a kick into the in-goal area saw
winger Tom Whitehouse, back in Portsmouth colours again, race through to win the race to touch down and score their 2nd try which Gareth Davies converted taking the score 12-0.

From the re-start skipper Will Rolfe took the ball and made good progress to the try line before being caught. He managed to off load the ball and Sam Olie was on hand to score close to the posts. Davies was successful with the conversion and the score now stood at 19-0 on 25 minutes. It was then the turn of Eastleigh to get on the score sheet following a period of pressure. Their conversion missed and the score was now 19-5 on 27 minutes. That score seemed to spur on Eastleigh as their confidence grew and they were rewarded with a second try which was converted taking the score to 19-12, just before half time. From a tap penalty Will Rolfe took the ball and shouldered his way to the try line giving Portsmouth a bonus point in the process taking the score to 24-12. The half time whistle went shortly after.

The second half got underway and penalties against the home side saw Eastleigh get close to the Portsmouth try line. Another penalty against Portsmouth saw Eastleigh take a quick tap and go and they ran through to score their 3rd try, which was mainly the result of poor tackling. The conversion was good and the score was now 24-19. The Portsmouth forwards were pretty dominant at scrum time and a good trundle to the line was just pushed into touch by some desperate action from the forwards, preventing a try.

Portsmouth soon made amends when they charged down an Eastleigh kick and Fooks was on hand to race through to touch down close to the dead ball line, Davies was again on target and the score was now 31-19, with about 5 minutes left. Following a penalty against Portsmouth, Eastleigh kicked to touch for a lineout. Portsmouth stole the ball and kicked to touch and the final whistle went with a bonus point victory to Portsmouth 31-19.

After the match Eastleigh were heard to say that they were generally please with the result bearing in mind some of the scores they have suffered this season.

This result sees Portsmouth move up 1 place to 6th, on 19 points just 1 point ahead of Andover who lost away to Guernsey 2nds, 23-15. Andover are 7th.
Bognor are top of the League after beating Winchester 2nds 48-24.
Our next game is in 2 weeks time when we travel to Andover, there are no fixtures next weekend.

TEAM
WILL ROLFE(C), BRAD ATKINS, LIAM AVIS
ELLIOTT WORRALL, TOBY WILSON
ALEX BUCK, SAM FLOYD, ANT FOOKS
ELLIOT DAVIS, GARETH DAVIES
TOM WHITEHOUSE, ALI MACDONALD, SAM OLIE, CALLUM GRAHAMSLAW
JAY CHATHAM

BENCH
LEWIS MURRAY, HENRI DAVIES, LEE CHANDLER

Portsmouth v GUERNSEY 2nds, Saturday 18th October, Counties 1 Hampshire League

Due to a 6am start for the away game to Guernsey 2nds, there were a few changes to the team from last week as some players couldn’t leave so early due to work commitments and family arrangements. As I was also unable to travel this will be a very brief match report. Despite the changes the team put up a good fight and eventually lost what was a very close fought match 38-35.

They did however, come away with 2 bonus points which kept them in 7th place, This was Guernsey’s first win of the season which made the result rather disappointing for the players. We now don’t have a game until Saturday 8th November, when we play Eastleigh at Rugby camp. This will be a 2:30pm K.O.

Winchester 2nds. beat Gosport & Fareham 54-24 and are top of the table and still unbeaten.

TEAM:
ALEX BUCK, BRAD ATKINS, ADAM PARKS-DARE
LEWIS MURRAY, ELLIOTT WORRALL
HENRI DAVIES, SAM FLOYD, ANT FOOKS
DOM VUGLER, GARETH DAVIES
JAMES COLWILL, SAM OLIE, BRAD JEWER, JAY CHATHAM
JAS SOLANKI

BENCH
LEE CHANDLER, FINN PARRY, ARCHIE CLEMENCE

Portsmouth v Bournemouth 2nds, Saturday 11th October, Counties 1 Hampshire League

After a rather tentative start by both sides Portsmouth, through Henri Davies, managed to steal a ball at a Bournemouth scrum in the Portsmouth half. He raced away taking play into the Bournemouth half where Bournemouth were penalised and Gareth Davies put in a nice touch kick giving his side a 5 metre line out. Having secured the ball Portsmouth drove to the line and Matt Hoban crashed over for the first score of the match. The conversion missed and the score was now 5-0 after about 3 minutes. From the re-start Sam Foster leapt in the air to catch the ball and made ground before being stopped. The ball was laid back and Portsmouth drove for the line, with Fooks being attributed with the score. Gareth Davies was successful with the conversion and the score was now 12-0 with about 10 minutes gone. The Portsmouth pack was pretty much in control at scrum time but the Bournemouth backs were a much bigger threat. And so they proved when the scored their first points through their No.13 who side-stepped his way to the try line, touching down close to the posts. The kick was successful taking the score to 12-7 on about 15 minutes.

From the re-start Portsmouth won a penalty which was reversed due to dissent, giving Bournemouth a chance to clear their lines. However Portsmouth were soon on the attack again and this time it was Jas Solanki who stepped his way through the defenders for their 3rd try on 23 minutes taking the score to 17-7. The conversion missed. 2 minutes later it was the turn of Bournemouth to score their second try taking the score to 17-12. From the re-start Portsmouth took the ball up field with Matt Hoban taking the final pass. He made an aggressive run from around the 22 charging his way through defenders and eventually broke clear to score out wide. The conversion missed and the lead increased to 22-12 on 28 minutes. That was Portsmouth’s 4 try so the bonus point was in the bag. From a penalty against the home side, Bournemouth took a quick penalty and from about 6 metres from the try line and scored close to the posts, with the conversion good the score was now 22-19. And that was the score when the half time whistle was blown.

Matt Hoban was replaced at half time due to a ham string problem. His place was taken by Bryn Rainford making his first appearance this season. Portsmouth were continuing to dominate at scrum time, pushing the Bournemouth pack of their own ball. A good drive by Portsmouth stand in skipper, Billy Rolfe saw him take the ball and side step his way through the opposition and run round to dot down close to the posts. Gareth Davies was on target with his conversion and the lead was now 29-19 on 57 minutes.

Bournemouth then managed to intercept a pass and their second row broke clear but was hauled down by Jay Chatham who had to race from his wing. Unfortunately there was a Bournemouth support player outside the tackled player who took the final pass to score a converted try on 65 minutes. The score was now 29-26. This was then followed by 2 penalties on 70 and 73 minutes which saw Bournemouth firstly draw level then take the lead 29-32.

This seemed to awaken Portsmouth and a lovely kick by Gareth Davies following a penalty against Bournemouth saw Portsmouth have line out 5 metres from the try line. A series of pick and goes by Portsmouth kept being repelled by Bournemouth, when a sudden change by scrum half Alex Duffas, who had had a very good game throughout, saw him pass a quick ball to Gareth Davies who launched himself over the try line for that all important score to re-take the lead 34-32. His conversion missed and the final whistle went giving a victory and 5 points to Portsmouth.

It was good to see Alex Duffas back in Portsmouth colours, his pace and speed of passing were invaluable today. Second row Sam Foster also had a good game, it was a surprise to see so many re-starts from Bournemouth kicked in his direction as he rose high and took clean catches every time, making ground on each occasion. Alex Buck had a good game at No.8 and the forwards gave Bournemouth plenty of problems. The Bournemouth backs however were a different proposition and posed the biggest threat. Their left winger has apparently clocked a tad over 10 seconds for the 100 metres. I would hazard a guess that he is the fastest in our league. It was only frantic defence that stopped them using him to greater effect. Twice Portsmouth got marched back 10 metres for dissent and 1 penalty was reversed which they scored from.

This result sees Portsmouth move up 1 place to 7th. on 12 points. Millbrook beat Guernsey at home 44-33 to stay 1 place above us, also on 12 points but with a better points difference. Next week sees Portsmouth travel to Guernsey who are without a win this season so far. Winchester are top of the league unbeaten so far, with Basingstoke in second place having drawn away to Bognor 30-30.

TEAM
BILLY ROLFE, ANT FOOKS, LIAM AVIS
MATT HOBAN, SAM FOSTER
HENRI DAVIES, SAM FLOYD, ALEX BUCK
ALEX DUFFAS, GARETH DAVIES
CALLUM GREENSLAW, SAM OLIE, BRAD JEWER, JAY CHATHAM
JAS SOLANKI

BENCH
BRAD ATKINS, BRYN RAINFORD, MATT PILBEAM

Portsmouth v Millbrook, Saturday 4th October, Counties 1 Hampshire League

This is, I think, the first time these two teams have met. At least the rain held off but there was a very strong blustery wind blowing across the pitch which made kicking a bit of a problem.

Millbrook got proceedings under way and Portsmouth took play into the Millbrook half. A penalty and yellow card against Millbrook saw Portsmouth find a good touch kick 5 metres from the try line. Portsmouth set up a good catch and drive and they powered themselves over the try line for second row Lewis Murray to touch down for the first score of the day. The conversion missed and Portsmouth took an early lead 0-5 after 10 minutes. Portsmouth further increased their lead when Millbrook were penalised giving Portsmouth a kick at goal, this time Gareth Davies was on target taking the score to 0-8 with about 20 minutes gone.

Millbrook were beginning to give Portsmouth some problems with strong running from their forwards and following a Portsmouth kick to touch which gave Millbrook a lineout on the 5 metre line. Good defence by the visitors saw them hold out but eventually they spun the ball across their 3’s and despite more good defence they managed to squeeze in for a try in the corner. The conversion missed and the score was now 5-8 after about 25 minutes.

With play taking place between the 22’s Millbrook won a scrum close to the Portsmouth try line. As they won the ball which came out of the side of the scrum, their wing forward broke to gather but knocked the on and then kicked ahead to score. Unfortunately, the referee was on the other side of the scrum and he only saw the player touch down so he awarded the try despite protestations from Portsmouth. The try was converted giving Millbrook a 12-8 lead with a couple of minutes of the half remaining. Almost on half time Matt Hoban then got a yellow card and the half time whistle went shortly after. During half time the Ref did apologise to Portsmouth that he had given the wrong decision.

The second half started and Portsmouth set up a series of good attacks but eventually the final pass went into touch. Millbrook then very nearly increased their lead when following a Portsmouth attacking passing movement the final pass was not really on and was picked of by Millbrook who broke clear and there was only Brad Atkins and Brad Jewer in defence. Jewer tackled the ball carrier who then managed to ship the ball to a following player but Brad Atkins tackled him, by which time Portsmouth had got back in defence and the try was averted. There then followed a series of 5 metre lineouts which saw Portsmouth on defensive duties which they fulfilled time and again. A couple of times Millbrook butchered try scoring chances, but that was in part due to the pressure that Portsmouth put on them through their dogged defence.

Portsmouth then had a chance to close the gap when, from a defensive effort in their 22, centre Leo Wall suddenly got the ball and broke through the opposition and was tackled just short of the Millbrook line causing him to loose the ball and Millbrook were able to clear their lines. From more defensive work from the visitors suddenly it was full back Jas Solanki’s turn to set up an attack. He broke through the opposition and found Brad Jewer with him. A pass to Jewer saw him take the ball deep into the Millbrook half before passing back inside to Solanki who had followed play. He took the final pass and dummied his way through to score a vital try giving Portsmouth the lead 12-13 with the kick to come but the wind proved too strong and the ball drifted wide.

Portsmouth were then penalised after the re-start for not releasing the ball after the tackle. Another 5 metre lineout followed, but Portsmouth held firm, winning the ball and kicking it into touch as the final whistle went. A victory by the slenderest of margins but a win never the less. Much joy in the Portsmouth changing room afterwards.

The second half at one time looked as though it was going to be scoreless but obviously Portsmouth had other ideas. Millbrook are well drilled side with a couple of big second rows and a very useful backline who were dangerous at times.

This win sees Portsmouth in 8th place on 7 points, Millbrook are 1 place above, also on 7 points. Next week’s opponents are Bournemouth 2’s who lost to Winchester 2’s 43-22. They are in 6th place also on 7 points. Basingstoke top the league on 15 points and are unbeaten, beating Gosport & Fareham 43-15.

Portsmouth 2’s beat Overton 24-27. Portsmouth 2’s are in 3rd place in their league, with the top 3 all on 5 points. The 3rds game was cancelled as Chichester couldn’t raise a team.

TEAM
LIAM AVIS, ANT FOOKS, WILL ROLFE(C)
LEWIS MURREY, SAM FOSTER
ALEX BUCK, SAM FLOYD, MATT HOBAN
DOM VUGLER, GARETH DAVIES
CALLUM GRAHAMSLAW, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL, BRAD JEWER
JAS SOLANKI

BENCH
BRAD ATKINS, HENRI DAVIES, MATT PILBEAM

Portsmouth v Gosport & Fareham. Saturday 5th April, Counties 1 Hampshire League

Today’s match was preceded by the Past Player’s lunch with over 90 people attending, and memories of games played long ago which meant that many an exaggeration was made in the telling. It was also a milestone for Geoff the ref, as this was his 1000th game since he started refereeing. His very first game was refereeing Portsmouth which was why he had asked to do this match. It was also the occasion when the Reilly family, who were present, presented a cup to the Club in memory of Ken Reilly who sadly passed away in December, last year. The cup is called the Ken Reilly Kicking Cup and will be presented to the player who wins the kicking competition which will be held shortly. The winner will be on the Honours board recently put up above the bar in Ken’s memory.

Gosport got the game underway kicking into a stiff breeze. Portsmouth put in a series of attacks but just couldn’t hold on the ball in the crucial moments. Portsmouth had a chance to take a 3 point lead from a penalty but the kick went wide. A penalty against Gosport together with a 10mt gain to Portsmouth as a result of back chat to the ref from Gosport saw Portsmouth in a better position for a kick at goal which Matt Higgins duly converted giving Portsmouth a 3-0 lead with about 15 minutes gone. Portsmouth then lost prop Alex Buck with a neck injury. His place was taken by John Pearson. He moved to hooker with Fooks going to prop. With the game being played mainly in the Gosport half, helped no doubt, by the following wind,
Portsmouth had a scrum and a clean heel saw the ball speed across the backs and Brad Jewer finished off the move with a well taken try giving Portsmouth and 8-0 lead on 38 minutes. That score remained until the half time whistle went.

The second half got underway with Leo Wall coming off to be replaced by Luke Simmons making a welcome return after a hamstring injury together with work commitments. Portsmouth also lost second row Sam Foster to a knee injury and he was replaced by Lee Chandler who went on the backrow and Liam Glazebrook moving to the second row. Portsmouth started out in the second half much as they had in the first with a good scrum which saw the ball swiftly moved across the backs and with the final pass finding winger Connor Charlton who broke one tackle and raced away to run round and dot down close to the posts. Matt Higgins duly obliged with the conversion and the score was now 15-0 on 45 minutes.

Gosport were now finding the advantage of playing with a following wind and scored a try of their own shortly after which was converted, narrowing the lead to 15-7. This was not helped with Eban Skinner getting a yellow card which meant both second rows were off the pitch. With the game swinging to and fro, it was the home side’s turn to score the next try after a good move from the 3’s which saw a great run by Leo Wall with the ball eventually getting to Luke Simmons who took the final pass to score out wide. The conversion missed and the gap was now 20-7 with 65 minutes on the clock. And that was with only 14 players on the pitch.

Another good try from Portsmouth saw Sam Floyd finish the move off with a try close to the posts, the conversion missed and the score was now 25-7. This was Portsmouth’s 4th try, giving them an important bonus point. As the end of the game got closer so the ferocity stepped up a notch with both side giving no quarter. However with 10 minutes remaining Gosport were next on the score board with a converted try that closed the gap to 24-14. This was followed by another Gosport try taking the score to 25-19. Gosport then were awarded a penalty but instead of taking a scrum they elected to take the kick which was converted but left them trailing by 3 points at 25-22.

With a scrum awarded to Portsmouth and the ref stating this was the last play, Portsmouth managed to lose the ball and get penalised in the process. A kick to touch by Gosport saw them with a lineout 10 metres from the try line. They won the ball but with a superhuman effort Portsmouth managed to drive them into touch and the final whistle went with a narrow victory to Portsmouth. What happened next was a bit confusing as Portsmouth were jumping with joy and in a big huddle when suddenly it is alleged that a Gosport spectator ran to the home side and took a swing at a Portsmouth player, where upon all of the players joined in the scuffle. Eventually order was restored and the players shook hands in the time honoured fashion.
Back in the Clubhouse after the game Portsmouth made a presentation to the ref in honour of his 1000th match together with his long association with the club.

With this the final game of the season our position was 7th in the league, We were 9th leading up to this game. The rather frustrating situation is that we finished on 51 points with a points difference of +137. Guernsey finished 6th on 52 points but with a points difference of -63. Bognor were 5th on 52 points with a points difference of -137. They had won more games than Guernsey. On the points difference +/-
1st – Havant +870
2nd – Ellingham & Ringwood +317
3rd – Basingstoke +64
4th – Gosport & Fareham +185
5th – Bognor -137
6th – Guernsey -63
7th – Portsmouth +137

TEAM
PHILL GALLILAND, ANT FOOKS, ALEX BUCK
EBEN SKINNER, SAM FOSTER
LIAM GLAZEBROOK, SAM FLOYD, AARON BEESLEY(C)
ELLOIT DAVIS, MATT HIGGINS
CONNOR CHARLTON, SAM OLIE, LEO WALL, BRAD JEWER
JAZ SOLANKI

BENCH
JOHN PEARSON, LEE CHANDLER, LUKE SIMMONS

Portsmouth v Bognor, Saturday 22nd March, Counties 1 Hampshire League

Portsmouth travelled to Bognor for this penultimate fixture for this League. Their problems started during the warm up when influential scrum half George Wright had to drop out of the fixture due to a nasty injury to his knee. His place was taken by Lee Chandler, who was on the bench, expecting only to be on the pitch for about 20 minutes. As it was he stayed on for 75 minutes until a back problem forced him off. Up until then he had filled in very capably.

Bognor kicked off and Portsmouth took play back into the Bognor half and unfortunately lost control of the ball but Bognor were then penalised for lying on the ball. Portsmouth had a scoring chance with a drive for the line but they were unable to cross. Then from a kick by Bognor Portsmouth managed to charge the ball down and quick thinking by Brad Jewer saw him race to the in goal area where the ball was rolling tantalisingly close to the dead ball line. Before it crossed the line he was able to beat the defending player to score the first points of the match. Gareth Davies was on target with the conversion and they took a 0-7 lead on 22 minutes.

Bognor were soon back on the attack and only good defending by the visitors kept them at bay. Bognor then got penalised for holding on to the ball after the tackle, giving Portsmouth a chance to clear their lines. With the ball bouncing around wing forward Sam Floyd kicked up field and followed in hot pursuit. He was unable to gather but they were now camped in the Bognor 22. From a maul Portsmouth were able to drive to the line and Fooks controlled the ball to score their second try which Gareth Davies again converted taking the score to 0-14 with 32 minutes gone. With both sides pressing for the advantage and the Bognor centres and No. 8 causing Portsmouth some problems eventually the half time whistle went.

Portsmouth got the second half underway and Bognor soon went onto the attack and after about 5 minutes their outside centre showed his speed as he outpaced the Portsmouth defence to score a converted try taking the score to 7-14 on 45 minutes. Bognor then closed the gap further when again their outside centre broke through the Portsmouth defence with a quick burst of speed to score out wide. The conversion missed and the score was now 12-14 on 50 minutes. Shortly after, when Portsmouth had been defending their line, a penalty against them saw Bognor take a kick at goal taking the score to 15-14. This was followed shortly after with a penalty to Portsmouth which Gareth Davies duly converted, giving Portsmouth back the lead 15-17 on 70 minutes.

Portsmouth then had to make changes with Chandler having to leave the field with back spasms. Sam Olie went to No. 9 with Aaron Beesley going to the centre and Eben Skinner going to No. 8. Bognor, taking advantage of the Portsmouth changes, took play into the visitors half and good 3’s play saw them score their 3rd try taking the score to 20-17 in the closing stages of the game. From a lineout which saw the ball bouncing around it was eventually Bognor that managed to hold on to it and a kick into touch saw the final whistle go ending the game.

This was a very disappointing game for Portsmouth who didn’t really perform as they have in recent matches, they just couldn’t get their game flowing. The Bognor No. 13 was causing problems along with their No. 8 who proved a handful throughout the game. This loss sees then slip down to 9th in the league, in part due to the conceding of the Guernsey away game due to player shortage. There is no game next week, yes another rest week!, and then the final game is Gosport & Fareham at home. Gosport also lost to Ellingham & Ringwood 15-28. They lie in 4th place.

Special mention must be made of George Wright, as already mentioned he had to drop out of today’s game and will probably miss the Gosport game also. He was at Portsmouth Uni for this year only as he is going back to Sheffield Uni. He has played consistently well and has been a valuable player throughout his short stay. We wish him well when he returns to Sheffield.

TEAM
ALEX BUCK, ANT FOOKS, ADAM PARKS-DARE
SAM FOSTER, TOBY WILSON
EBEN SKINNER, SAM FLOYD, AARON BEESLEY(C)
LEE CHANDLER, GARETH DAVIES
CONNOR CHARLTON, SAM OLIE, BRAD JEWER, HARVEY FIELD
ALEX RANDALL

BENCH
PHILL GILLILAND, JOHN PEARSON

Portsmouth v Eastleigh 8th March

Portsmouth 58 Eastleigh 38

by Simon Newsham

A glorious spring afternoon for the visit of Eastleigh to Rugby Camp and the one hundreth first xv cap for front row forward Adam Parks-Dare.  The visitors were first on the scoreboard when Portsmouth knocked on in front of their own posts. From the resulting scrum Eastleighs fly-half dummied and cruised over the try line for a 0-7 lead.  Portsmouth hit back five minutes later with a tap penalty that Aaron Beesley scored with a trademark crash to the line, converted by Gareth Davies the scores were levelled.

Eastleigh went back in front after Portsmouth were penalised for holding on in the tackle, a quick tap and dummy saw them retake the lead 7-14 with fifteen minutes gone. The pace was frantic but nice passing move by Portsmouth in the backs saw full-back Alex Randall speed down the left wing to touchdown just left of the uprights, Davies added the extras plus a penalty a few minutes later to edge into a three point lead.

The pace of the game was fast and furious, on the half hour Portsmouth again irked the referee who awarded another simple penalty that the visitors slotted.  The hosts really took hold of the game in the ten minutes leading up to half time. A superb 50/22 kick from Davies gave Portsmouth a line out deep in the Eastleigh twenty-two, the catch and drive was collapsed by the visitors and Sam Foster was on the end of a quick tap penalty to score, once again converted by Davies for a 24-17 lead.

Rounding off the first half another huge 50/22 by Davies was turned into another try for Beesley from the line out catch and drive, Davies again on the money with the extras for a half time lead of 31-17.

Portsmouth were quickly back into their stride in the second half, Hooker Anthony Fooks was impressive once again with the ball in hand, making plenty of ground and sucking in the tacklers to create the space. A sweeping move by the hosts put Connor Chalton clear to run in a try down the right.  Five minutes later Foster stole an Eastleigh line out, scrum-half George Wright broke through the middle of the pitch, popped a pass to Beesley on his left who drew the last defender before passing to winger Brad Jewer to score on the left. With thirty minutes left the hosts were looking like running up another cricket score, Chalton added another try when Beesley collected the kick off and passed to Fooks whose series of sidesteps took him clear of the advancing defence, his pass to Chalton put him in for his second try and a 48-17 lead.

However, Portsmouth were being penalised regularly and it was second row Sam Foster who was shown the yellow card.  His presence was missed as Eastleigh ran in a try almost immediately as the hosts collapsed the catch and drive.  The mayhem continued with end to end action and a brief respite came with a Portsmouth penalty that Davies kicked through the uprights for the three points.  At 51-24  from a Portsmouth scrum deep in their own half, scrum-half Wright ran in a lovely long range try and once more Gareth Davies converted for a 58-24 lead.  Much to the enjoyment of a group of stranded Frenchmen.  

Their journey from Nantes to Dublin had somehow ended in Portsmouth where they sought out the nearest club.  Having been wined and dined by the Portsmouth members and watched their team win on the TV they found their voice and gave a fantastic rendition of La Marseillaise from the spectators balcony.  

Sam Foster wasn`t back on long after his yellow card when he limped off with injury, Portsmouth ran out of steam and the game ended 58-38 with the visitors scoring two late tries. 

Portsmouth v Bournemouth, Saturday 1st March, Counties 1 Hampshire League Match

Portsmouth travelled to Bournemouth without a few players from their last outing including their captain Aaron Beesley. However, such is the strength of the squad now that there was barely and difference in the performance and indeed the outcome of the match.

Bournemouth kicked off on a dry, sunny day with just a slight breeze blowing across the pitch. Portsmouth were soon on the attack as they worked the ball upfield, having defended well in the opening minutes. Eventually Portsmouth were awarded a lineout about 7 metres from the try line. A good catch and drive saw them shove the opposition pack backwards and suddenly No. 6 Liam Glazebrook broke from the maul with the ball and dived over for the opening try after about 10 minutes. Hywell Gronow obliged with the conversion and they led 0-7.

From the restart Portsmouth were soon on the attack again and with Bournemouth getting pinged a few times by the ref, Portsmouth were soon in the opposition 22. A 5 metre scrum to Portsmouth saw them drive the Bournemouth pack over the try line and Liam Avis dropped on the ball for their second try, again Gronow was on target and the score was now 0-14 after about 23 minutes. With Portsmouth still pressing for a third score but unable to get over the try line the half time whistle went.

The second half saw Portsmouth bring on their bench, Adam Parks-Dare at prop, Simon Pinhorn in the second row and Alex Randall on the wing. They replaced Alex Buck, prop, John Pearson, hooker, and Connor Charlton wing. There were two positional changes with Fooks moving from No.8 to hooker. and Toby Lucas from the second row to No. 8. Portsmouth were soon back in scoring mode with Alex Randall gathering a clearance kick and making ground before passing to Sam Foster who in turn took play forward before passing to George Wright who raced away to score out wide, the conversion missed and the score was now 0-19 after 43 minutes.

It was then the turn of Bournemouth to get their first score after some good pressure by them. However the try was rather controversial as the scorer clearly stepped over the touch line before he scored. Spectators were drawing this the ref’s attention was he was unsighted at the time. He asked where the touch judge was and he was on the half way line talking to fellow members. He had been playing earlier but came off with a very sore knee and didn’t really want to run touch. The ref had no alternative but to let the try stand as there was no Bournemouth spectator close to the incident. The try was converted and the score was now 7-19 with 45 minutes on the clock.

20 minutes later Portsmouth widened the gap when from a scrum Portsmouth heeled good ball and George Wright broke to the open side and finding Hywel Gronow out side him made a bit of ground before giving him the ball. Gronow sidestepped his way through the opposition and raced clear to dive over the try line. This was just like his father when he was playing, even to standing up with his hands on his knees getting his breath back. Matt Gronow was on the touch line watching, the main difference he said in the bar afterwards that he didn’t have to convert his own try, he just gave the ball to Nobby Stiles. That was their 4th bonus point try with the score now 7-26 on 45 minutes.

Bournemouth were now trying to get back into the game and eventually pressure told as the crossed for their second try which was not converted, taking the score to 12-26. Bournemouth did manage to cross the line again shortly after their last score but the Portsmouth defence managed to get under the ball carrier thus preventing the try and giving Portsmouth a goal line drop out. Another good move saw Portsmouth carry the ball from their 22 into the opposition 22 but they just couldn’t get final score. From a Bournemouth line out they managed to steal the ball and a kick into touch saw the ref blow for full time, with the final score 12-26.

Portsmouth won by a similar score when the two met earlier in the season so this was a very satisfactory result. There were 5 yellow cards handed out during the match, 3 to Bournemouth in the first half and 2 to Portsmouth in the second half.

This result sees Portsmouth stay in 6th place on 45 points with next weeks opponents Eastleigh just 1 point ahead of them on 45 points, They lost 28-50 to Ellingham & Ringwood. Bognor are just 1 point behind Portsmouth on 45 points so it is very tight indeed. Portsmouth still have the best points against record of 336, the next best is Havant on 368. The surprise result was Bognor beating Gosport & Fareham 41-18. Portsmouth’s defence was good throughout the game as Bournemouth were a big physical side.

Portsmouth’s back row gave an excellent account for themselves throughout the game , Portsmouth did probably leave a couple of tries out there but the overall performance was pretty good. Stand in captain Sam Foster led the troops well.

TEAM
ALEX BUCK, JOHN PEARSON, LIAM AVIS
SAM FOSTER (C), TOBY WILSON
LIAM GLAZEBROOK, SAM FLOYD, ANT FOOKS.
GEORGE WRIGHT, HYWEL GRONOW
CONNOR CHARLTON, OLI AVIS, SAM OLIE, BRAD JEWER
JAZ SOLANKI

BENCH
ADAM PARKS-DARE, SIMON PINHORN, ALEX RANDALL